An optical bench is provided, as are a thin optical pickup that employs the optical bench, and a method of manufacturing the optical bench. The optical bench includes a light source for generating light for recording and reproducing information to and from an optical disc, a light source stand on which the light source is mounted, a mirror adjacent to the light source stand, and a bottom surface at a lower point than the light source stand and between the light source stand and the mirror surface. Sides of the light source stand besides the side facing the mirror are connected to the surface of the substrate by a flat sloped surface. Along the sloped surface, two electrodes for supplying power to the light source are connected to the light source stand. Since the metal wirings are formed along the sloped surface without trenches or windings between the light source stand and the silicon substrate, no disconnection of metal lines at a corner occurs.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An optical bench, comprising: a light source generating light for recording information to or reproducing information from an optical disc; a photo detector receiving the light; a light source stand on which the light source is mounted, wherein a surface on which the photo detector is formed and the light source stand are connected by a first sloped surface; a mirror disposed adjacent to the light source stand; and a bottom surface interposed between the light source stand and a surface of the mirror, wherein the light source stand and the bottom surface are connected by a second sloped surface.
2. The optical bench of claim 1 , wherein the optical bench is formed from a silicon wafer having an Si{100} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 9.74°.
3. The optical bench of claim 2 , wherein the mirror surface is formed from a silicon wafer having an Si{111} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 45°.
4. The optical bench of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of bonding pads formed on the same surface on which the photo detector is mounted for forming external electrical connections.
5. The optical bench of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of metal lines for electrically connecting an electrode of the light source to the bonding pads are formed along the first sloped surface.
6. The optical bench of claim 1 , wherein the sides of the light source stand except a side facing the mirror are connected to a substrate surface on which the photo detector is formed via a flat sloped surface without windings.
7. A thin optical pickup that records and reproduces information to and from an optical disc, comprising: a light source generating light; a photo detector receiving the light; an optical clement irradiating the light to the optical disc; an optical bench comprising a light source stand on which the light source is mounted, and a mirror reflecting light to the optical element, disposed in front of the light source stand, wherein a surface on which the photo detector is formed and the light source stand are connected by a first sloped surface; a bottom surface interposed between the light source stand and a surface of the mirror, wherein the light source stand and the bottom surface are connected by a second sloped surface; a heat radiation means combined to a surface of the optical bench; and a supporting means comprising a plurality of bonding pads facing the heat radiation means with the optical bench.
8. The thin optical pickup of claim 7 , wherein the optical bench is formed from a silicon wafer having an Si{100} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 9.74°.
9. The thin optical pickup of claim 7 , wherein the mirror surface is formed from an Si{111} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 45°.
10. The thin optical pickup of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of bonding pads formed on the same surface on which the photo detector is mounted for forming external electrical connections.
11. The thin optical pickup of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of metal lines for electrically connecting an electrode of the light source to the bonding pads are formed along the first sloped surface.
12. The thin optical pickup of claim 7 , further comprising: a polarized light device comprising first and second reflection surfaces and a polarizing beam splitter disposed facing the photo detector; a spacer interposed between the optical bench and the polarized light device; a hologram optical element; and an objective lens.
13. The thin optical pickup of claim 7 , wherein the sides of the light source stand except a side facing the mirror are connected to a substrate surface on which the photo detector is formed via a flat sloped surface without windings.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
February 4, 2005
April 10, 2007
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